Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

Following some very stellar appearances on the classic Wu-Tang release Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Corey Woods, better known as Chef Raekwon, begun work on a solo LP, one that was to be the third solo Wu-Tang release, after 1994's Tical by Method Man, and early 1995's Return To the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version by Ol' Dirty Bastard. Now, these two albums had been pretty well received, but at the same time had both sounded very dusty and grimy, and not too ambitious in terms of production - the rappers were left to make something unique out of the often bassy and percussion heavy instrumentals that never really stood out too much. For the Raekwon album, however, The RZA, the man behind all of the early Wu LPs, intended to switch things up a bit, and make a cinematic style of album that was to sound completely different to anything that had come out of the Wu camp before. Raekwon himself was a very different MC to Meth and ODB, and so the cinematic and grand instrumentals would fit his delivery and drug dealing/mafioso rhymes a lot better than the dark stuff RZA had previously been doing. The album was originally intended to be only about 14 tracks, but as Rae was right in his bag at the time, he ended up doing 18, and so the project became the longest out of all of the first round of Wu solo albums (before Wu-Tang Forever).

The album was released through Loud Records, who also had the Wu-Tang Clan as a group signed anyway, and make no mistake, this was a Wu album at heart. Every single song is done by The RZA, and Rae's close buddy Ghostface Killah is seen not only on the album cover, but also on 14 out of 18 tracks - he even had one song all to himself! Ghost would return the favour by letting Rae give a similarly large amount of contributions to his debut Ironman, an album I have already covered on here (it'll be linked at the end). Most of the other Wu-Tang members showed up too, but one thing this project is notorious for is being the first from the Wu camp to include someone who wasn't in or closely affiliated with the Clan - yes, Nasir Jones pops up on here for a classic verse too. Loud Records also decided that the best way to draw attention to the album was to make the cassette tape a slightly different colour to usual - instead of clear or matte black, it was to be purple. Yes, it sounds like a stupid idea, especially as the cover art isn't purple anyway, but it worked, and the album sold a lot of copies, and charted high. Not only this, but the tape was so successful that the album is now commonly referred to as simply "The Purple Tape", and original copies of said purple tape go for a bloody fortune on the internet. And, no, I don't have one (got the CD though, of course), although it is high on my wantlist, that's for sure.

The album is generally regarded to be the pinnacle of mafioso rap, and one of the greatest hip-hop albums full stop, let alone albums to come from the Wu-Tang Clan. RZA's new direction payed off enormously, with every beat being grand and excellent, and Raekwon and Ghostface spitting more classic verses on this album than Future has in his entire bloody career. This album is regarded as a classic '90s piece, and as such, I should probably get down to reviewing the thing, shouldn't I?

So, is Raekwon's debut the classic that it is constantly praised to be, or has it aged like a cup of milk left in the sun? Let's have a look.

Every song is produced by The RZA. That's right, every single one!

1. Striving For Perfection

If one was to "strive for perfection", wouldn't it be a good idea to leave out the bloody overlong pretentious spoken intro? Just a thought.

2. Knuckleheadz (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks & Golden Arms A/K/A Lucky Hands)

For those wondering, "Golden Arms" is actually U-God, who did have that stage name when this album came out, albeit apparently it wasn't his main one at the time, as it's nowhere to be seen on the back cover here. It's funny that, while U-God is a solid stage name, they instead advertised bloody "Lucky Hands" and "Golden Arms", as if the guy was some kind of miniature lucky charm for a card player. Anyway, this song is an all-caps CLASSIC, and one of the more underrated tracks on the whole LP. The instrumental gives off a similar vibe to the songs "Shame On a Nigga" and "Clan In Da Front" off of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), which is a good thing, and the three MCs all deliver some of their most impressive verses ever. Rae opens things up with some brilliant bars such as "save the fully inflatable, rap relatable, drug relatable, niggas here to play with you", Ghost exudes aggression ("Who's the knucklehead, wantin' respect??") and U-God delivers easily one of the best verses I've ever heard from him. This is incredible, guys - a must-hear.

3. Knowledge God

As Ghostface famously later stated on "Iron Maiden", the violins on the beat here do indeed sound ILL. They only really pop up on the chorus, and intro and outro, though, and during the verses we have a more simplistic beat, that still sounds great mind you. While "Knowledge God" may sound like an arrogant title for the song, it actually simply refers to a kilogram of cocaine - Kilo-Gram = KG = Knowledge God. No, I don't know what the two things have in relation either, but then there's a lot of things Rae says that's difficult to understand. The storytelling itself on here isn't super unique or anything, but Rae's rhyme schemes certainly are, and that teamed with the catchy hook and great beat make this one well worth your time.

4. Criminology (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks)

The lead single, or second single if you count "Heaven & Hell", but that was originally for a soundtrack anyway, so it doesn't really count. This one is most famous for Ghostface's phenomenal performance, containing classic lines like "then I react like a convict, and start killing shit!" and "throwing niggas off airplanes, 'cause cash rules". I mean, Rae kills it too, but DAMN Ghost proves himself on here. I'm surprised they released this as a single, as it's one of the least radio-friendly tracks here, but I'm glad they did, as this song can be remembered even more now - phenomenal stuff.

5. Incarcerated Scarfaces

Somehow, the album just keeps getting better, as Rae takes this fairly simplistic yet unimaginably energetic drum beat from The RZA, and not only does he kill it with aggression and precision, but then he proceeds to throw it right up into the sun for it to burn into ashes. This is arguably the best Rae song ever - it is arguably the best song released throughout the year of 1995 as a whole. The hook is also brilliantly catchy, and the amount of classic lines is just unbelievable - "all I need is my house, my Gat, my Ac, bank account fat, it's going down like that"; "black stallions wilding on Shaolin"; "me and the RZA connect, blow a fuse, you lose"; "I move rhymes like retail, make sure shit sell - from where we at to my man's cell". Those are just some of my favourite lines. This song is incredible.

6. Rainy Dayz (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks & Blue Raspberry)

So, remember how I said that the last song was "arguably the best Rae song ever". Well, if it's not that, then it's probably this. RZA makes possibly the most cinematic beat he ever did for this one, with pulsating drums and tragic violin loops making up for one of my favourite instrumentals of all time. Blue Raspberry (who contributed to a couple of songs on Method Man's Tical if you remember) brings her all here, with some absolutely beautiful singing that is creepy and heartbreaking at the same time. Ghost and Rae both kill this beat with their tales of hard times - I personally prefer Ghost's verse, as I just think he fits the beat better, but at the same time, Rae makes good use of the instrumental too. This is literally the fifth classic song in a row. This album is truly astonishing.

7. Guillotine [Swordz] (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks, Inspektah Deck A/K/A Rollie Fingers & Genius)

One of two all-out posse cuts on the album, this one being rapped over the same music that introduced Method Man's "Tical" song, the intro track off the album of the same name. These guys all predictably destroy this instrumental, an instrumental that stands as easily one of my favourites on the album. Inspectah Deck gets things off to the perfect start with his classic bars "poisonous paragraphs smash your phonograph in half, it be the Inspectah Deck on the warpath", and from then on we just get a lyrical onslaught, with GZA finishing things up with a very creative verse. One of the best Wu posse tracks out there.

8. Can It Be All So Simple [Remix] (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks)

A remix to my least favourite song on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and it's a little bit better than the original, even if there's not much in it. This beat is a little bit more menacing than the one on that one, and the lyrics are also slightly more interesting - the overlong intro skit had set the tone of this one: Ghost was shot by a man they saw dealing around their ends, and decided to confront. This may be a true story, I'm not sure. Anyway, this is good, but it being a remix it probably shouldn't have made it to the album.

9. Shark Niggas [Biters]

Spoken word interlude from both Ghost and Rae. Normally, this is the type of stuff to make my blood boil, but I suppose the sentiment here is simply truthful, rather than preachy or arrogant, so that's good. This track also disses The Notorious B.I.G., which was pretty intriguing stuff, and there's a whole other story to that. So, yes, this is a good interlude, and it deserves to be here. That's pretty high going for a skit.

10. Ice Water (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks & Cappachino)

It's a good thing Cappadonna changed his name from "Cappachino" after the release of this album, as that would have made for some funny coffee breaks in the Wu offices. "Hey, Cappachino!" "Coming right up" "No, I mean Cappachino (pointing to Cappadonna)" etc. Don't know why I bought that thought up, but I did, so it is what it is. Anyway, this song is solid, and as the first appearance of Cappa on wax it carries historical significance, but at the same time, the beat with the effectively moaning sound effect is grating to me. Not bad, but the lyrics deserved much better backing.

11. Glaciers Of Ice (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks & Master Killa A/K/A Noodles; Vocals: Blue Raspberry & 62nd Assassin of Sunz Of Man)

Yes, that is how the credits are laid out on the back cover. Aside from the title pointing out the bloody obvious (as opposed to glaciers of what? Wood? Orange peel?), this track is excellent in a hypnotic way. The instrumental sounds like nothing else you or I have ever heard, and the rapping on here is simply incredible - "Proceed with caution as you enter the symphony, degrees of punishment increase intensely" are some of the best lines to open a verse on the whole album. Masta Killa may not be the most exciting MC, but he sure knows how to drop some memorable lines. The singing from Blue Raspberry and then 60 Second Assassin (notice how the person who did the credits misinterpreted the name when they were told it?) on the end is also a thing of beauty. Jeez, I'm running out of ways to praise this album.

12. Verbal Intercourse (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks & Nas A/K/A Nas Escobar)

A rather disturbing song in which Rae, Ghost and Nas exchange sexually explicit compliments towards each other. Bet you didn't see THAT coming.

Nah, I'm just kidding, but that song title certainly puts some odd ideas into the mental, doesn't it? 

This one is most famous for the truly brilliant poetry of Nasir Jones, as he spits one of his best verses ever over this decidedly softer type of instrumental, that's still bloody excellent, mind you. While I do indeed think that Nas bodies this one, I personally would give it to Ghostface Killah, who's on his verse for an admittedly long time, but it's worth it, as his rapping here is truly mind-blowing. Anyone who says they don't feel this one is just lying to you - it's phenomenal.

13. Wisdom Body (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks)

The aforementioned solo Ghostface Killah song, where he compliments a women he has just met with surprising sincerity from the man who would later start a song with the line "yo bitch, I fucked your friend! Yeah, you stank ho!", on "Wildflower" (his aggression on that song was justified, mind you, although I'm sure those that blindly hate on rap music would turn their ugly noses up in disgust anyway). While not being as memorable as most of this LP, Ghost rhymes well on this one, and the beat is quite exciting. Great track.

14. Spot Rusherz

Having listened to Ghost spit a short verse in the previous track, Rae decided he didn't want to be left out on the fun, and contributes something similar here. Rae, being competitive, decides to be less unique than Ghost in favour of spitting another street tale to appeal to the hip-hop heads, and while this is good, I wouldn't recommend it over most of the rest of the album, and the skit at the beginning is overlong. Still a nice song, though.

15. Ice Cream (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks, Method Man A/K/A Johnny Blaze & Cappachino)

Easily the most popular song on the album, and also one of the most obvious examples of a beat that compliments the subject matter as well as tractor diesel compliments a glass of white wine. Perhaps this song was made on April Fool's, and the rappers decided to prank RZA by rhyming about breasts over one of his darkest and most powerful instrumentals, but that's only a theory. This is still a classic, though - Ghost and Rae deliver their flirtatious bars with the necessary swagger, and Method Man's hook is phenomenally catchy, too - that line "watch these rap niggas get all up in your guts" is infinitely memorable, and the screams in the background add to the disturbing atmosphere of the song. Sure, Cappa slightly downgrades the song with one of the stupidest pick-up lines I've ever heard ("I love you like I love my dick size", although I'm sure you knew that that was the one I was referring to), but we can forgive that. This is one of the best tracks on the album - what a banger.

16. Wu-Gambinos (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks, Method Man A/K/A Johnny Blaze, The RZA A/K/A Bobby Steels & Master Killa A/K/A Noodles)

The second and final posse cut ("Ice Cream" doesn't count - Meth only did the hook, and there has to be more than four different rappers spitting verses to fit the criteria for a posse cut in my book), and I could argue that this is even better than the previous one, "Guillotine [Swordz]". Production on this track is intense and exciting, and every rapper makes themselves stand out on here. Method Man always delivers on features, but for RZA to drop one of the best verses of his career here was a nice surprise, and the other three MCs compliment the instrumental excellently with boasts-n-bullshit bars. What a bloody track.

17. Heaven & Hell (feat. Ghost Face Killer A/K/A Tony Starks)

Technically, this was the lead single to the album, but it was initially released to be on the "Fresh" soundtrack (along with GZA's "I Gotcha Back"), so it doesn't really count. Anyway, this track consists of one long back-and-forth verse between Rae and Ghost, which Raekwon apparently wrote all by himself, before some uncredited singing from Blue Raspberry along with the inevitable plethora of shout-outs closes out the track. This shit is beautiful, carrying a significantly slower tone to the rest of the album that helps with the calming down at the end of the LP. "What do you believe in, heaven or hell? You don't believe in heaven 'cause we're livin' in hell!". Classic.

Buyers of the vinyl and purple tape will finish their listening experience with "Heaven & Hell", but on the CD, we are gifted with a bonus track. How kind...

18. North Star [Jewels]

I'm surprised Rae missed the opportunity to spell it as "jewelz". Sloppy behaviour. Anyway, this track contains the first appearance of bloody Popa Wu on wax, and while I don't mind his appearance on here, I still think that the shit he spouted on Wu albums needed to be cut the fuck out. Rest In Peace to the man, but still, I'm never a fan of religion being preached through spoken word on albums. I'm just not interested. Anyway, Rae spits a nice-ass story on here, and the production is truly powerful - ODB singing in the background was a nice touch as well. Good stuff, although weirdly tragic sounding for a bonus cut.

While Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is not as concise as Liquid Swords or as musically diverse as Ironman, it still stands as easily one of the best releases of the 1990s, and one of quite a few undisputed classic albums put out by the Wu camp throughout the decade. This album is unbelievably good - it just feels like I'm listening to a compilation of the greatest Wu-Tang tracks, and Raekwon just happens to appear on most of them. I don't think the album is perfect - firstly, it's a bit long, and seems more bloated than the other Wu-Tang solo debuts, and also, the intro skit was unnecessary, and "Can It Be All So Simple [Remix]" should not have made the cut - it should have been a B-Side to something at most. Other than that, though, there's little else for me to make critical points about. This album is consistently wonderful - the beats are always loud, cinematic and creative, and yet still remain hip-hop influenced through and through, and the rapping is just off the scale good on here. This is an album simply full of some of the best lyricists ever spitting their darts at their absolute primes. Ghostface Killah is quite possibly MVP of this album, as I think he spits classic verses every time on this thing, but Raekwon truly makes this album too with his unmistakable NY swagger and excellent mafioso bars. This album is an instant classic, and easily worth a listen - hell, I would consider buying the bloody purple tape version for £200+, it's that bloody good. Buy this album, stick it in the player, and just take it in - it's one hell of an experience. This is an absolutely incredible album, and deserves all the praise that it gets. 

Best Tracks: Knuckleheadz, Criminology, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Rainy Dayz, Guillotine [Swordz], Glaciers Of Ice, Verbal Intercourse, Ice Cream, Wu-Gambinos, Heaven & Hell

Worst Tracks: Ice Water

Read up on more Wu-Tang related stuff here, and my review for the similar album Ironman can be found here.

Busta Rhymes - E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front

After preparing us for such an event on the outro of When Disaster Strikes..., and then releasing the alright-but-not-great Flipmode album, Trevor "Busta Rhymes" Smith unleashed his third solo album on the population, the ridiculously titled E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, an album that followed a similar formula to his previous effort, only with way less guests. The project was intended to be Busta's final album, not because he was retiring, but because on January 1st 2000, the apocalypse was inevitably to begin suddenly and without prior evidence or reasoning to this being the case, and we were all to suffer greatly before our inevitable painful deaths - no time to get in the studio, then. Or at least that's what Busta thought. Inevitably, that didn't happen, or at least it didn't in our minds - Busta believed the world had indeed gone to shit, and he decided to convey that "shit" through his fourth album, Anarchy. But that's a story for another day.

Today, we're talking about E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, a title that I will be shortening to just Extinction Level Event for the remainder of this review if that's alright with you.

Extinction Level Event was a 19 track effort that had quite a few things in common with his previous album When Disaster Strikes.... There was a long-ass spoken intro and a long-ass spoken outro too, the first three tracks were all done by the same producer, there was a track featuring a popular female singer, a lead single that remains one of the best hip-hop songs in existence, and there were a lot of solo songs - a good thing, as one person who doesn't need guests is Busta Rhymes, a man bound to destroy them anyway. When Disaster Strikes..., however, had a rather guest-heavy bottom half, with there being no guests within the first 9 tracks, and about 3900 in the remainder of the project, which made the album look a little poorly sequenced at first glance. Extinction Level Event, however, spreads its four collaboration tracks pretty evenly throughout, which is already a positive. The guests? Well, we have Flipmode Squad, albeit only on one song, and Mystikal, which seemed like a good match, but also Janet Jackson in her first singing spot for a rapper ever, and then bloody Ozzy Osbourne, which is just weird. Busta had got in some pretty hefty names, then, and the producer list was similarly exciting - Bus-a-Bus invited the up-and-coming Nottz to do the first three tracks, and he had once again invited DJ Scratch along for the ride, which is a great thing - Scratch is easily one of my favourite beat makers ever. We also had Swizz Beatz (sceptical look ensues), Jamal (OK?), Diamond D and Rockwilder, along with a few of the Hitmen to finish things off. 

Busta's third album looked like it was going to be a success, then, and I for one was very bloody excited. A couple years ago, as I was getting into his music, I decided, to let the hype build, that I would sit through all my GCSEs before listening to Busta's albums, and by the time they were over I would have happily eaten through several brick walls to get at this thing. Odd times. Anyway, would it live up to the hype? Only one way to find out.

1. Intro-There's Only One Year Left!!! (producer not listed)

Now it's 2024, this intro is more funny and ironic than anything, but then again, I can definitely imagine it scaring the ever loving shit out of listeners back in 1998, or at least the ones who had a semblance of belief towards the Y2K theory. Despite it inevitably not ageing well, this is still easily one of the best rap album intros ever, even if Busta does decide to start shouting random bullshit at the end - the voice that gets slowly deeper teamed with the vivid descriptions of torture is positively bone-chilling. 

2. Everybody Rise (prod. Nottz)

Over a poignant yet creepy piano instrumental from Nottz, Busta decides to actually address his own beliefs of where the world was headed, and the results are spectacular. Busta's trademark screaming which would normally be funny and joyous sounds pretty horrifying on the hook here, and when we get to that one verse, things truly heat up, as Bus proves himself as an incredible and engaging lyricist to those unfamiliar with him. The repetition of "get what's yours from out this fucker 'fore your time run out!!" is powerful too. What a bloody way to open an album. "EVERYBODY RIIIIIIIIISEEEEEE!!!!"

3. Where We Are About To Take It (prod. Nottz)

Busta's preference for long and random song titles comes to a head on this album, so I'd watch out for that - the title of the project should give you a clue that that would be the case, though. This Nottz beat is nice as hell, and Busta is still sounding pretty manic on this track, if not quite so much as on the previous one. Some of his lines are bloody good, though, and his delivery is always the thing that really allows them to pack that punch they need. "We here to stay, nigga, FUCK paying a visit!" is a personal favourite of mine. And this is yet another one verse wonder? Bloody hell, this stuff is good.

4. Extinction Level Event (The Song Of Salvation) (prod. Nottz)

Pretentious song title aside, this song is just as good as the previous two. Nottz' beat is creepy in a paranormal way, and Busta's delivery is fully on point here, with him accentuating words constantly as if he had a bad case of hiccups in the studio that day. This is also the first song to contain more than one verse, something rather out of the ordinary for a mainstream rap album in the late '90s. These first three songs make for one of the most entertaining one-two-three punches in hip-hop history - if only Busta and Nottz had done a full collaborative album. Imagine how good that would have been!

5. Tear Da Roof Off (prod. Swizz Beatz)

According to Wikipedia, this was the lead single, but there are no proper physical copies of it on Discogs, and the only video for it was tacked on the front of the "Party Is Goin' On Over Here" video, which I think came out after the album anyway. Can never trust Wikipedia. This track is a banger - Swizz Beatz provides easily one of the best instrumentals of his entire career (which isn't saying all that much if we're being honest, mind you), and while Busta's flow may seem disjointed and repetitive to some, I think the energy and occasional bursts of maniacal shouting make for one of Busta's catchier tracks. I could see why people might find this annoying, but to me it's yet another great single in the Trevor Smith catalogue.

6. Against All Odds (feat. Flipmode Squad) (prod. Jamal)

The only track on the album to feature any of Busta's Flipmode Squad buddies, and also the last appearance of Lord Have Mercy on a Busta album, which is very sad, as he was arguably the best member of the Squad (after Busta, obviously). This track is most notorious for the final line of Busta's verse, which aged so, so well. I won't type it here - just listen to it, and you'll see what I mean. And, if you listen to it, you'll probably like it: the beat, weirdly provided by Def Squad affiliate Jamal (who did contribute verses to Busta's first two efforts, but I don't think had had his hand in production before), is energetic and haunting, and all of the rappers sound a lot better than they did on that group album they dropped a couple of months before this. The hook is catchy too. People who bought the CD are gifted a skit that isn't available on streaming, and it's pretty funny, if a bit random.

7. Just Give It To Me Raw (prod. Swizz Beatz)

Swizz Beatz, spurred on by the fact that he had actually made a good instrumental, for "Tear Da Roof Off", decided that for his second contribution to Busta's album, he would try to be a little more experimental. However, the results of this were predictably terrible, as this is quite easily the worst beat on the whole album. Talk about clunky. Busta does his best on here, but his flow ends up sounding kinda repetitive, and even with the reference to Raekwon's "Ice Cream" in there, his verses don't say much of interest. Thankfully, Busta gave Swizz the sack after this - he doesn't pop up again.

8. Do It To Death (prod. Rockwilder)

Rockwilder provides one of his trademark instrumentals that just sort of sounds like random noise on here, and while this would have confused any other rapper as much as the prospect of an album without an intro skit, Busta predictably is able to control and manoeuvre the beat as easily as he would a Go-Kart (that is if Busta actually ever tried a Go-Kart, which is quite a funny image now that I think about it). His random spurting into gibberish is quite funny, and the line "fuck around and be the next "Formerly Known As" artist" is clever too. This doesn't exactly scream "replayability", but in the moment it's a damned exciting listen. The hook grates on the brain like an annoying coworker, though.

9. Keepin' It Tight (prod. Rashad Smith, co-prod. Armando Colon)

The beat on this one is sort of just there in the background, but other than that I still enjoy this one, as Busta once again kills his verses, and the hook is great. This is one of those songs where I feel there's nothing to say - it's not incredible, but I still like it. Uhhh... that's it!

10. Gimme Some More (prod. D.J. Scratch)

The proper lead single, and oh my bloody God is it good. This was the first song where Busta really utilised the speed rapping that he would later become famous for with songs like "Break Ya Neck", and then later on "Look At Me Now" and "Worldwide Choppers", among others. Despite the brilliance of these, this is still the best example of Bus' speed rapping ever - I might go as far as to saying that this is my favourite Busta Rhymes song full stop. Not only are his flow and lyrics some of the best he ever spit, and just sound like heaven to the ears, but DJ Scratch's beat, which takes a part of the Psycho theme, is beautifully haunting and yet absolutely banging at the same time. Even the video is one of the funniest and most creative I have ever seen. If you ain't heard this one, then you need to get yourself in order and chuck it on right now - this shit is classic.

11. Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Gettin Rowdy Wit Us? (feat. Mystikal) (prod. Darrell Delite Allamby & Kenny [Kenny Flav] Dickerson)

Aside from the fact that it has the stupidest song title in Busta's long career of stupid song titles, this is yet another track that I just love. I find it interesting that Busta sequenced the two speediest tracks on here right next to each other, but I think it's a good thing - have the epitome of energy right in the middle of the album, and come down after that. Mystikal's verse is predictably incomprehensible, but the catchy hook, brilliantly speedy Busta verse and bullet train beat all make this into one of the best tracks here. Love it.

12. Party Is Goin' On Over Here (prod. D.J. Scratch)

These song titles are truly something, aren't they? Anyway, Scratch-a-tor is back for another beat, and one could argue that this instrumental is even better than that of "Gimme Some More", if one was okay with being stabbed repeatedly by anyone who heard him say this (people do love "Gimme Some More"). The beat on here is bloody nice, and Busta predictably sounds excellent over it - yes, nothing of what he says is particularly profound or insightful, but that isn't what you come to a Busta album for anyway. That chorus is damned catchy, but interestingly so are the verses, and they aren't even supposed to be! One of Busta's most underrated singles.

13. Do the Bus a Bus (prod. D.J. Scratch)

DJ Scratch provides a slightly gimmicky instrumental for Busta to once again speed the hell up over, and while this one isn't as good as the previous tracks (especially with the silly hook), it still stands as another piece of Busta Rhymes excellence. "I ain't messin' with you at all, girl, yo' ass too small" is a pretty hilarious line, and I do wish other rappers were bold enough to use the term "little idiot" in their songs. This is a banger, and the hidden skit on the end, which appears to parody South Park, is a must-listen too. Oh it's not on streaming you say? Well, then I guess you'll have to BUY THE GODDAMN CD!!

14. Take It Off (prod. Hassan Big Haas The Fantom)

This was the song that worried me the most upon listening through this album for the first time, as the title insinuates that this is going to be one of those dismal sex songs that rappers just love to put on their albums for some reason. However, I needn't have bothered worrying, as this is just another party song, which demands you to take off most of your clothes simply due to the heat on the dance floor. The track is one of the more forgettable on the project - the Haas G beat has a Caribbean flavour that's mildly entertaining, but largely inoffensive, almost like background music, and Busta seems to be recycling ideas on here. Can you believe the guy who produced this also made Ghostface Killah's "Apollo Kids"? Still, I don't mind this track - it just doesn't stand up to the rest.

15. What's It Gonna Be?! (feat. Janet Jackson) (prod. Darrell Delite Allamby) 

Aside from the randomly inserted punctuation marks to give it that Busta feel, the title of this song is exactly the sort you'd expect to hear a pop radio announcer mentioning every couple of hours, and as such, this was the most popular single - it charted at no. 3, the highest Busta has ever climbed to. Also, Janet Jackson is on here. This beat is smooth as hell, and Busta does a great job on it - it's Janet who makes this worse, by repeating the (admittedly smooth, if overly explicit) chorus seemingly a million times at the end - you're better off listening to the video version (attached to a flick that cost twice as much as your average large house), which cuts off most of the inane repetition. Without it, this becomes one of the best radio singles of the late '90s. It's truly great.

16. Hot Shit Makin' Ya Bounce (prod. Deric Angellettie & Nasheim Myrick)

I mean, it's pretty hilarious, but still, is that really the song title, Busta? Anyway, this track is pretty fun, if once again sounding a bit too forgettable and similar to a lot of the material we've already heard. Busta makes it worthwhile - his verses are absolutely brilliant on here.

17. What The Fuck You Want!! (prod. Diamond D)

Well, I'd quite like you to return to the actual topic of the album, but jeez, no need to snap, my man! Anyway, this track is easily the most aggressive here, as you can probably tell by the ridiculous song title. Apparently someone in the studio made fun of Busta's extensive collection of apocalyptical memorabilia, leading him to snap out at them in a big way, and thankfully this makes for one of the more exciting songs in the final third of the album - "derange your whole circular shape into triangular, nigga!!" is one of the best lines on the album, and I won't argue about that.

18. This Means War!! (feat. Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath) (prod. Busta Rhymes)

Yup, you read that right. Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath. And if that wasn't strange enough, it turns out that this is simply a remake of Sabbath's "Iron Man", only with new lyrics from Ozzy himself, and obviously some aggressive Busta verses. As much as I appreciate the idea here, this ultimately fails slightly in execution, and ending the album with something as satirical as this probably wasn't the best idea, was it now, Bus?

19. Outro-The Burial Song (prod. D.J. Scratch)

Busta takes one of the best beats on here (yet another DJ Scratch gem), and decides that instead of rapping, what everyone really wants is for him to talk over it for five minutes about the end of the bloody world. Still, this is pretty creepy, but yeah, it's way too long for a spoken word outro.

As much as I may have been critical of some of the songs on here, I think that's me just comparing them to the rest of the material on the album, and taken on their own, songs like "Take It Off" and "Hot Shit Makin' Ya Bounce" are still wildly entertaining and fun. As for the rest of this thing... it's bloody phenomenal. I absolutely love this project, and, honestly, it's one of my favourite albums of all time. Busta Rhymes destroys pretty much every verse here, and almost every instrumental just hits. One thing that Busta also excels at that most rappers often will stumble with is hooks - his are always catchy and fun, and he never does that stupid goofy singing that people like Ghostface Killah and Nas always do, which just ends up sounding miserably bad. No, Busta understands the assignment - make a fun album full of bangers and clever lines, and he does it to a tee. Sure, you could argue that this thing is a little too long, but with tracks like "Gimme Some More", "Everybody Rise" and "Party Is Goin' On Over Here", surely some songs are going to appear to be inferior. I feel like I'm glazing Busta hard right now, so I'm going to stop, and finish with this by saying that you should definitely listen to this album. It's fun, it's catchy and it's consistent. All it's missing is a bit of substance, but who really wants that from Busta anyway? If you want meaningful, poetic lyrics, go to Common. If you want a nice bit of chilled out fun, Busta's your man. Incredible piece of work right here.

Best Tracks: Everybody Rise, Where We Are About To Take It, Extinction Level Event (The Song Of Salvation), Tear Da Roof Off, Gimme Some More, Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Gettin Rowdy Wit Us?, Party Is Goin' On Over Here, What's It Gonna Be?!, What The Fuck You Want!!

Worst Tracks: Just Give It To Me Raw, This Means War!!

Want to see some more whimsical praise of Busta? Well, he's my favourite rapper, so there's plenty more where that came from.

Images for the album cover and "Do the Bus a Bus" single taken from Discogs.

Common - One Day It'll All Make Sense

Between the releases of his second album Resurrection and the third effort we'll be covering today, Lonnie Lynn Jr. went through what can only be described as an incredibly hectic period in his life. For starters, he became embroiled in a beef with West Coast legend Ice Cube over his track "I Used To Love H.E.R.", which admittedly resulted in him recording one of the classic disstracks in hip-hop history, "The Bitch In Yoo", but was no doubt draining nonetheless. Then, he inadvertently got his then-girlfriend pregnant, and went through the painful and long process of deciding whether or not to keep the child, a decision which would eventually be revealed on the project in discussion today. And, if all that wasn't enough, he was then sued by a bloody Californian Reggae outfit for accidentally swiping the group's stage name, resulting in the change from "Common Sense" to the "Common" that we all know and love today. 1995 and 1996 were pretty busy years for Com then, but thankfully, he was able to release all of his inner demons through the form of music, something he had proved to be quite good at on his excellent second album Resurrection.

Despite the album originally being slated for late 1996, it wasn't until late '97 when Common was able to finally release his third album through Relativity Records, the slyly titled One Day It'll All Make Sense, which contains a very subtle hint towards the change in his stage name - did you spot it? Having put out some reasonably successful and very well received singles in the shape of "Retrospect For Life" and "Reminding Me (Of Sef)", Common was probably expecting more recognition than ever to fall on his new album, especially what with the whole Ice Cube beef. Therefore, when it only hit no. 62 on the Billboard charts, he may have been a bit disappointed, but at least the album did end up in multiple magazine's "best albums of the year" lists (my Grandad actually has a couple of these particular magazines). And, judging by the tracklist, this thing was going to be an interesting listen. Whereas on his first two albums guest appearances had been kept to fellow underground MCs and his producers, on here, we get appearances from Lauryn Hill, already highly successful at this time thanks to Fugees' The Score, as well as Black Thought, Q-Tip, De La Soul and bloody Canibus of all people! Whoever thought Common and Canibus was a good match were probably blindly picked from a remote Pacific Island, but nonetheless, the pair came together anyway. Production-wise, the album was largely left to No I.D. once again, and this would be the last time that that would be the case until 2011's The Dreamer/The Believer album, so bear that in mind. 

So, a promising line-up then, and the album proved to be a turning point in the career of Common, where he went from the jovial, fun-loving MC that we saw on his first two efforts to the conscious rapper and wise-man poet that he is renowned for being today. The project certainly had me excited to listen to, but would it deliver, and would Com be able to successfully capitalise on the various things he had been through over the past few years? It's time to find out.

1. Introspective (prod. No I.D.)

The album begins with a spoken word intro named after one of the very words that could be used to describe the man once known as Common Sense. Com actually comes across as quite innocent and vulnerable on here, with his stuttering and seemingly unprepared speech, quite an interesting and unique move, as most rappers would be eager to prove their strength and power on an intro. The music on here was nice too. One of the better rap album intros that I have heard in my time.

2. Invocation (prod. No I.D.)

Common brings the most poetic and thoughtful verse he had spit up to this point in his career, and No I.D. provides him with some beautiful jazzy production to back up the vocals. The pulsating sound that occurs before the beat drop (which happens twice!!) is also really, really nice. What an incredible opener. "Growing into my britches, out-growing the streets" - truer words were never spoken.

3. Real Nigga Quotes (prod. Dug Infinite)

Pretty interesting track, as Common effectively mocks the accepted idea of a "real nigga", which is odd, as there are similarly braggadocios tracks further into the tracklist that seem to hold no satire or irony whatsoever, making Common quite the hypocrite on here, wouldn't ya say? Anyway, this track is still great. Me, I like a good ol' bit of boasts-n-bullshit (as the hip-hop world has come to calling it) now-and-then, and when someone as usually humble as Common does it, it makes it that must more interesting, and he ain't half bad at the art either. Meanwhile, Dug Infinite provides some very hard, and yet still jazzy production, as well as a pretty catchy hook that also samples an element of Nas' "One Love" song. This track is nice, fellas.

4. Retrospect For Life (feat. Lauryn Hill) (prod. No I.D. & James Poyser, add-prod. Lauryn Hill)

The aforementioned lead single, and probably the most famous track on this album to this day. One would look at that feature and presume that the presence of Ms. Lauryn Hill would be the catalyst for this, but no - it's Common's lyrics, which discuss that important topic I mentioned in the opening paragraphs of abortion, and the decision that Common had to make when he accidentally got his girl pregnant. The repetition of the bars "315 dollars ain't worth your soul" at the end of the first verse is truly powerful, although not quite as much as the final line of the second verse, where he reveals that he is going to have the child after all. Lauryn's contribution is sadly minimal, as she sings a chorus snatched directly from Stevie Wonder's song "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer". It still sounds good, mind you - it's just stolen. I should also mention the beat, which contains beautiful piano and soft drums, the perfect music for Com. This is truly a classic - imagine hearing this as Common's lead single in 1997!

5. Gettin' Down At the Amphitheatre (feat. De La Soul) (prod. No I.D.)

After a long but necessary phone call from Common's father closes out the last track, this song, while still being very long, serves as a sort of come down to let the tears induced by the wonderful previous song finish flowing out of your eyes. On this track, we have a pretty simple drum beat which only really builds up in the hook, and this leaves the MCs to flaunt their lyrical prowess, which they all do amicably, if not astonishingly. Opening the song with the words "booger bitches" was a rather strange idea, but still, I don't mind this one, don't mind it at all.

6. Food For Funk (prod. No I.D.)

Potentially the most aggressive song on this entire album, and one that doesn't really incorporate a "funky" feeling at all - this track could more be described as hardcore hip-hop, something Common failed to do as often as he should after the release of this album. Even though it can be slightly grating at times, this track is still nice, and Com's vocals come across almost as if they were written and recorded around the Resurrection era, and then had a new beat put on them, as he has more of an unsure flow here than on the previous few tracks. This can't be the case though, as he finds the time to diss Foxy Brown (and he excessive use of make-up) on this track, which was pretty funny, and also dates the track to 1996 or after. Overall, a good one, if not something you might've expected to find on this album.

7. G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition) (feat. Cee-Lo) (prod. No I.D. & Spike Rebel)

Going into the album, I was less than excited for this song, as the feature from Cee-Lo (a vocalist I've never been a great fan of - feel free to contradict me in the comments) along with the terribly pretentious title made the prospect of listening to this about as enjoyable as eating a bowl of blue cheese. So you can imagine my surprise when I found that this is actually one of the best tracks on here. Common's opening verse is pretty interesting, and his idea of accepting all religions to be believable is nice as well. Cee-Lo's hook isn't great, but we are subjected to a surprise rap verse from him, which is all the more surprising because it actually sounds good. Also, Cee-Lo effectively checking Common on his idea of the devil being white and God being black was good as well - I do hate the casual racism that you often see in rap music. This track is really good, guys, and interesting too.

8. My City (prod. Spike Rebel)

Five minutes of spoken word poetry by Malik Yusef, who was later signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music label, along with someone else... . Normally, I would despise these types of songs, but this one is really good, mainly due to the incredible jazz music in the background. We have gone about 7 or 8 minutes without hearing Common now though. I hope he isn't dead or nothing...

9. Hungry (prod. No I.D.)

Oh, never mind, he's back!! And for a short one verse track that's pretty good - nothing more, nothing less. The production from No I.D. is slightly intense, making this song far more aggressive sounding than most of this LP. The closing line is the best on here in my opinion - "what you should have known from day one, you will on day seven". Now that's a diss! Battle rapper Common is a good Common, but there are probably better modes for him to be in.

10. All Night Long (feat. Erykah Badu) (prod. The Roots)

Ahh, Erykah Badu, the woman that completely changed Common's musical direction for a couple of years, or at least that's what is widely speculated. Com won't admit it, of course, but then what rapper would? Anyway, this song is simply dreary. The beat is quite terrible, with annoying piano melodies and uninteresting drums, meanwhile neither Erykah or Common manage to impress the listener on this track, both providing inane party lyrics that shouldn't really go on a dull beat such as this, or a Common album, full stop. Common and Erykah have an interesting history together, but this probably goes down as the least interesting part of it - go listen to "One" by Busta Rhymes if you want a 1997 feel-good Erykah Badu/rapper track. Not this. Definitely not this.

11. Stolen Moments Pt. I (prod. No I.D.)

After a lengthy skit that admittedly sets up the next few tracks in a very good manner, Common raps one verse over some movie-style production that explains to the listener exactly what just happened in the preceding skit. Oh, you want me to explain it now? Fine then. So, Common had just been on tour, and when he came home, he found the door unlocked. He carefully stepped inside to find that the place had been robbed clean. The idea of the robber cooking Common's chicken breast in his own kitchen is pretty funny as well - who leaves a chicken breast in their fridge when they're away for a while anyway? Looks like the next few songs will be an interesting experience.

12. Stolen Moments Pt. II (feat. Black Thought (Tariq)) (prod. No I.D.)

Why they felt the need to list Black Thought by his stage name and real name is a mystery to me, but whatever. Thought only contributes repetitive intros and outros on here anyway (the "Frantic Situation" interpolation carried over from the last track, and then an interpolation of A Tribe Called Quest's "Sucka Nigga" in there as well), leaving Com to carry out his detective mission alone, trying to find out who it was that broke into his apartment. Common also sneaks in the billionth "fuck the police" sentiment in a rap song on here, with his final line "'cause telling the law, Joe, is worthless", a statement that was sadly quite true I imagine.  The first one felt more cinematic, but this track is equally interesting, and builds on the story well. 

13. 1'2 Many... (prod. Dug Infinite)

To my sincere confusion, Com takes a break from the steadily unfolding "Stolen Moments" narrative, in order to drop this reasonably basic but still fun track that I do enjoy listening to. I guess this track shows Common taking a break from the mystery, and getting back in the studio to clear his mind of the detective work he had been doing. This song falls with "Food For Funk" and "Hungry" under the "boasts-n-bullshit" category that this album has going, only this one sounds a lot more fun and innocent than those two, and I do like it. But can we get back to the story, dammitt?

14. Stolen Moments Pt. III (Intro/Outro: Q-Tip) (prod. No I.D.)

Even though Black Thought handled just an intro and outro too, he isn't credited as such on his appearance. Weird. Anyway, this track concludes the tale, as Common continues his search to find the criminal, and he actually finds him at the end as well, albeit with an ending that comes up on you with speed to match that of Tech N9ne's album output. This track contains the most innocent production of the trilogy, but it's still nice as hell, and the storyline is filled out with efficiency and professionalism. Nice work, Common.

15. Making A Name For Ourselves (feat. Canibus) (prod. No I.D.)

The aforementioned Canibus collaboration track, most famous for its terrible attempts at mathematics during the hook ("I'm your worst nightmare squared, that's double for niggas who ain't mathematically aware"). This song bangs despite this, though. Even though Common's soft vocals mixed with Canibus' raspy shouting would seem to be like blending strawberry yoghurt with barbecue spare ribs, the combo actually works as well as jam on a digestive, which is to say very bloody well. The intense production makes this almost seem like a battle rap song, only with Common and Canibus teaming up and going in on unnamed MCs, rather than each other. This is a great track, and one of the hardest of Com's long career.

16. Reminding Me (Of Sef) (feat. Chantay Savage) (prod. Ynot)

The radio single, and it's still pretty good, even if the hook from Chantay Savage isn't catchy in the goddamn slightest. The beat (the only one from YNot on here, which he probably wasn't happy about) is bouncy and fun, and Common was apparently incubated and studied to fit over this beat, as he sounds great on here waxing over his memories, and his regret at the loss of his friend. Get rid of that hook, and you've got yet another incredible song. I always forget how damned good this album is.

17. Pop's Rap Part 2/ Fatherhood (feat. Lonnie "Pops" Lynn) (prod. Karriem "Mad Rhythm" Riggins)

Common's father of the same name as him pops up (see what I did there?) for the second time on a Com album, and speaks an interesting story of having to break into the studio just to see what his son was up to. Nice and soothing instrumental on here too, provided by Karriem Riggins, who collaborated more and more with Com as the years went on. Annnnnd, we're done.

While at times it can feel a bit too long and bloated, One Day It'll All Make Sense still stands as the second excellent album from Common in a row, and, while I don't like to spoil anything, it wouldn't be the last either. This album is really, really good, being a mix of braggadocios and aggressive songs such as "Hungry" and "Real Nigga Quotes", powerful and introspective songs such as "Retrospect For Life" and "G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition)", and an incredibly inventive three part storytelling piece as well, which is definitely one of the best and most interesting things Common ever did musically. Even though it is long at over 70 minutes, it remains consistently entertaining throughout the runtime, with the production having aged excellently, and Common almost always bringing it on the mic, something the excellent array of guest stars do as well. The only song I didn't like was "All Night Long", and even that wasn't terrible - just a bit dull. I think this album could have lost that song, and perhaps some of the other less fitting songs could have been saved for a different project, but even then, this is still a fun and very, very entertaining experience, and I think that it deserves a listen from every hip-hop fan. This album is very forward-thinking, and one of the best conscious rap records of the 1990s. It's a great LP, and while it's not as good as Resurrection, it's still a hell of a lot more creative. What a great album.

Best Tracks: Invocation, Real Nigga Quotes, Retrospect For Life, G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition), Stolen Moments Pt. I, II & III, Making A Name For Ourselves

Worst Tracks: All Night Long

If you would like to see what else Common has been up to, please click here

Nas - Nastradamus

After releasing the good but inconsistent I Am... in May of 1999, Nas knew he had to do something for the fans that had been promised a double album from Nasir, and were disappointed by the single disc version of I Am... that actually hit stores. Instead of doing the smart thing and just releasing a compilation of the unreleased songs from the not-leaked disc of I Am... The Autobiography (an idea Nas would finally conjure up in 2002, releasing the highly praised The Lost Tapes album), Nas decided it was better that he recorded an entirely new album for the fans, and that it would come out by the turn of the new millennium. Nas actually thought of this before the released version of I Am... was even put out, as we can see in the artwork of that project, where there are advertisements for an album entitled Nastradamus, a title I'm sure people found to be a rather stupid and obvious pun even back then. And, true to his word, Nas released Nastradamus in November of 1999, an album consisting of almost entirely new songs (only "Project Windows" and "Come Get Me" were carried over from the original I Am... The Autobiography tracklist)  - apparently Nas was attempting to recreate the incredible run that DMX had in 1998, what with him managing to record a second album in about 6 months, quite a feat.

Or, it would be, if the album was any good.

Nastradamus was regarded as a complete disaster from the moment listeners who could actually get through the whole album finished with it, and most of these people probably never returned to it anyway, instead choosing to play Illmatic shortly after to cleanse their ears, forgetting about Nastradamus in the process. People criticised the album to high heaven, with reviewers tearing apart the generic lyrics, dull album cover, cheap beats, annoying hooks, and occasionally rather odd musical decisions as if they were excitable 5 year olds on a particularly successful birthday. The fact that the chap who had made the timeless classic Illmatic album was now making violent street raps over Christmas carols, and rather dodgy sounding sex songs for the clubs was enough to make the hip-hop world despise Nas as if he had walked up to each and every individual, urinated all over their Timberlands, and proceeded to shit on their newly implemented tiger skin rugs. It would take two years for Nas to regain relevance in the hip-hop world, and he had to go to the trouble of creating one of the greatest diss tracks of all time for that to happen. This album was quite the bloody failure then, I'll say. 

Not that the producer or feature list would lead you to making this assumption. Yes, there was a Ginuwine collab track for the clubs, and Nas had also recruited his terrible Bravehearts pals for a track, but on the other hand we had Mobb Deep on this album, a duo still just about hanging on to their prime in most people's eyes, and a lot of solo tracks too, something this album has in common with Illmatic. Another thing that those two had in common was that there were L.E.S. beats on here, a good thing, as L.E.S. has made some nice contributions for Nasir in the past (see "Suspect", "Undying Love", "Life's A Bitch", bloody "Undying Love" (if you haven't, you'd better listen to that song already - now!!)). Dame Grease, the man behind a lot of DMX's classic It's Dark And Hell Is Hot is also present here, as well as Timbaland, Havoc, and finally, the legendary DJ Premier, which is just brilliant if you ask me. Honestly, looking at the tracklist of this thing, it actually looks pretty promising. 

I haven't been through this thing in a while, so revisiting will be interesting, to say the least. So, is this as terrible as it is so often regarded to be? I think it's up to me to find out.

1. The Prediction (prod. Nas & Rich Nice)

For his next two solo albums, Nas would thankfully divert from the so-called "rap album intro" (he once again used one for 2004's Street's Disciple), but on Nastradamus, we aren't so lucky, as the evening begins with this pretentious spoken word track that introduces a theme that will OBVIOUSLY be utilised throughout the whole project. I mean, what sort of rap album wouldn't be able to hold a consistent theme?

2. Life We Chose (prod. L.E.S.)

For the first proper song, Nas decides to get his conscious side out from the start, and chooses to utilise this over a strangely disjointed but still solid instrumental from L.E.S.. Beginning your first verse on your new album with lines about how you like getting your back rubbed of an evening is a sure way to attract the street dudes, ain't it? The main thing I notice with the verses on here is that Nas actually sounds quite a lot deeper and more baritone than he did on his previous records - is that just me? Also, the second verse, which questions the general ideas of being "real" and having "trust", is pretty bloody powerful, I'll admit it, even if the hook is rather pointless. Not a bad way to start things off.

3. Nastradamus (prod. L.E.S.)

The title track, which was released as the lead single too, not that that makes any sense whatsoever, as this track isn't radio friendly at all. I used to quite like this song, since the beat is fun, and the opening disses towards Memphis Bleek (another log thrown into the inferno of the Jay-Z/Nas beef) were nice as well. Listening today, however, I'm not really impressed. Not only does Nas sound incredibly disengaged and sleepy during the verses, but the hook is terrible as well. I still think the production is fun, but otherwise, this simply isn't very good.

4. Some Of Us Have Angels (prod. Dame Grease)

Despite the fact that Dame Grease came through with easily one of the weakest instrumentals on the I Am... album ("Ghetto Prisoners"), Nas decided he should bring him back for this LP, and this time for four (!) instrumentals. Thankfully, this beat is great, bringing an uneasy and dark feeling, which matches the new, half asleep Nas a lot better than the goofy track L.E.S. provided on "Nastradamus". A lot of other beats utilised with these exact vocals would have made for something dull, but this track ends up sounding rather intense and engaging, all thanks to that beat (the memorable hook plays a part too). Easily one of the best songs here, and ignoring Nas' dreary delivery, the lyrics themselves are pretty powerful.

5. Project Windows (feat. Ron Isley) (originally prod. Nashiem Myrick & Carlos Broady, re-prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters) & Al West)

One of two songs taken over from the original I Am... The Autobiography tracklist, and you can tell, as Nas sounds a lot more engaged on this instrumental than on the previous tracks, an instrumental quite different from the original made for I Am... The Autobiography. This track's history doesn't make it any good, though - this instrumental is dull, and the Ron Isley vocals just sound dismal to me, although that may have something to do with my hatred for most rapper/male singer collaborations. Never liked this one.

6. Come Get Me (prod. DJ Premier)

Interestingly, the other track taken from the I Am... The Autobiography sessions is sequenced right after "Project Windows". I can't really tell if that's a good thing or not, so I'll leave that up to you readers. This is also the only track with a DJ Premier beat, and as such, it's easily the best song here. The instrumental is a hell of a lot more energetic than the rest of the stuff provided on here, and Nas sounds rejuvenated, at least compared to the rest of this LP. Notice how I just effectively stated that it's better than the rest of this in basically all aspects? Interestingly, this track is also widely speculated to diss Jay-Z, specifically on the second verse. "Fuck you say girlie mouth?" is an obvious dig at Jay's extravagant lips (which Nas famously feels negatively towards), meanwhile multiple bars about the unnamed target stealing Nas' style is something Nas would later bring up multiple times when their beef became more publicised. I see the hook on here as a call to action towards Jay, one he answered by releasing a song entitled "Come And Get Me" on Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter - if anyone didn't see this beef coming back then, they were either very naive, or perhaps just not interested in the slightest. Nas also gives a clue to this being taken from his supposed "third album" in this verse, which I think is pretty interesting. This is easily my favourite song on here - absolute banger.

7. Shoot 'em Up (prod. Havoc)

Clearly having consumed more marijuana than should be humanely possible, Nas decides that it would be a great idea for him to rhyme about shooting people up to the tune of a popular Christmas carol. I'll leave it up to you to work out how exactly this one turned out.

8. Last Words (feat. Nashawn; Millennium Thug) (prod. L.E.S.)

The misuse of a semi-colon in the credits up there is pretty funny to me. See, Nashawn and Millennium Thug are the same person, and therefore the semi-colon is supposed to indicate this fact. A semi-colon should be used for a list, though, and so this actually indicates that Nashawn and Millennium Thug are different artists. What should have been used was a NORMAL colon, obviously. Come on, Nas. Gotta get yourself a grammar checker on the team. Anyway, this song is good - the lyrics are reasonably interesting, the L.E.S. beat is powerful, especially the sample, and Nashawn proves himself to be a worthy sidekick to Nas, if not being particularly standout. Not bad, overall. The skit on the end was overly long though.

9. Family (feat. Mobb Deep) (prod. Dame Grease)

A lot of people were probably anticipating this track the most out of the selection here, since Nas and Mobb Deep had proved themselves to be a pretty good trio in the past. The fact that Havoc doesn't produce this one should be a turn off, but it's alright, as Dame Grease provides us with a pretty entertaining, if a little overdramatic, instrumental instead. Sadly, the lyrical content is pretty generic and uninteresting on here, and Havoc's hook is way, way too long - was it really necessary to repeat it that many times? The line about Nastradamus predicting that "you'll rewind this" was kinda funny, but overall, this is pretty dull if we're honest, if far from the worst on here.

10. God Love Us (prod. Dame Grease)

Ugh... This beat is pretty nice, but that's all I can say here. Firstly, the whole concept behind this song is stupid. If God loved those in the hood so much, why would they be in prison in the first place? Saying he "takes time to listen" in the prisons is also quite tragic, as it just sounds ridiculously desperate and slightly deranged, even though I know a lot of people think like that. Look, I'm not saying God isn't real, but if you don't think this hook is complete rubbish, then I don't know what to say to you. And then, we have the elephant in the room. That third verse. That. Third. Fucking. Verse. I'll never be able to listen to the term "in the hood" again. Jesus, it's bad. It isn't dull. It isn't boring. It's absolutely dismal. As is this song. Get this shit outta here.

11. Quiet Niggas (feat. the Bravehearts) (prod. Dame Grease)

For the first time on one of his albums, Nas brings in the truly terrible group of Bravehearts, who surely stand as one of the worst crews ever endorsed by a legendary rapper. Most of these guys either sound ridiculously drunk, or just incapable of getting up from the sofa that they've been trying to binge watch The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air on, only for Nas to rudely interrupt them, just to ask them for a cheap verse. I'd rather listen to Nickleback than this. Heck, I'd rather listen to the incessant sounds of manic screaming than this. And the beat isn't even bad - it's pretty chilling, even if the drums are chaotic and poorly placed. The rapping on here is horrible, though, and the hook... Nas, didn't you think we'd probably have had enough of ridiculously played out repetition by now? God in heaven...

12. Big Girl (prod. L.E.S.)

Now, I think this might be considered the most miserably bad song Nas ever made, and let me be the millionth person to endorse that statement. It's not that this is that bad sonically, as the instrumental is pretty interesting, and Nas' flow actually works a bit better than on the previous album's attempt at a slightly choppy song ("Big Things"). However, as soon as you pay attention to the lyrics, or perhaps stumble upon the bloody hook, hopes that this might be good are immediately thrown out the window as fast as this CD will be once you've finished with this. I'm sure it wasn't Nas' intent to sound like a massive nonce, but he sure managed it with ease. Bloody hell, this is terrible. Funnily enough, Ghostface Killah utilised this same sample for a song of the same name on his Fishscale album, quite a bold move considering the inspiration for the song. This is positively horrific.

13. New World (prod. L.E.S.)

Rapped over the instrumental from Toto's "Africa". Sigh.... Still, it's better than rapping over "Carol of the Bells", I suppose, and at least the subject matter matches the positive feels of this beat. Nas - sorry, Nastradamus - also makes some pretty accurate predictions here. "Cash is the past, a new way of spending" and "computers taking over their jobs" both came very true - they certainly hold more truth than his prediction that I would rewind "Family". The beat and background singing in the hook are both unbelievably corny, but still, this is better than a lot of the shit we've just had to go through.

14. You Owe Me (feat. Ginuwine) (prod. Timbaland)

Another wonderful page from the classic Nasir Jones' Book of Interesting Musical Decisions details the idea of making a song with popular R&B singer Ginuwine (from the book: "any other generic and dull singer will suffice, so long as they are male, popular, and absolutely NOT a feminist"), and making said song about an experience Nas underwent where he stated that the woman whom he let hold his jewellery now "owed him something" - see if you can guess what that "something" was. This track still kinda bangs though, although I would never admit that if I happened to run across another Nas fan in public (something that actually happened just yesterday while I was rocking my Illmatic hoodie). Yes, the lyrical content is dire, but it's still better than "Big Girl", and the production is pretty cool. Overall, not a bad track, although Nas' decision to end the album with this rather than "New World" was quite odd if you ask me.

15. The Outcome (prod. Rich Nice)

Now, Nas had always (prior to this album) started his album with a skit or spoken interlude, but this would be the first and only time he also ended with one. That's pretty interesting, unlike this track, which is just "The Prediction" over again, but with different words. 

While Nastradamus isn't completely terrible like a lot of people seem to say, it's still pretty bad, and seems to get worse whenever I go back to it - I used to rather enjoy this when I was going through Nas' catalogue for the first time. The reason for that is obvious, though - the production on this album, while not astonishing, is still good, and makes this album surprisingly more musically consistent than I Am..., an opinion I'm sure everyone under the sun will want to hang, draw and quarter me for. However, now that I am older, less biased and more perspective, I notice something: the rapping on this album fucking sucks. Sounds harsh, I know, but it's true, of course with the exception of a few songs like "Come Get Me", and "New World", which had possibly the worst beat on here anyway. The fact that from track 9 onwards the best song is "You Owe Me" is quite the warning sign, too, don't you agree? (And yes, "New World" is a technically better song, but the beat and hook sound like a throbbing arsehole, so there). This project is just plainly not very good, and while there are songs that I quite like, there's nothing on here to touch the highs of any other Nas album, let alone the three that came before this. Therefore, I'm definitely not recommending a listen here: while the production is quite solid, Nas and the guest MCs disappoint heavily, and the hooks suck wrinkly testicles too. This album is one that I never really want to listen to again, and I certainly wouldn't want to subject my (few) readers to it, would I? Now, go and check the best tracks out, and then forget this exists, like everyone else did as soon as Stillmatic came out in late 2001.

Best Tracks: Some Of Us Have Angels, Come Get Me, Last Words, You Owe Me (guilty pleasure pick - fans of the Illmatic Nas need not hear this one)

Worst Tracks: most of the bloody thing

If you want to read some more positive write ups, then click here - I do think the man is arguably the greatest to ever do it, so you're bound to find something there.

Jay-Z - Vol. 3... Life And Times Of S. Carter

I'm aware that I haven't caught up on the Hova catalogue in a little while, so I figured I'd better get on with it: there's quite a lot to go through.

Since albums always either come in ones or threes, it was inevitable that Jay-Z would have to follow up his Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life album with a Vol. 3 of some sort, and he did just so, and predictably on time: the album dropped in December of 1999, just preceding the turn of the new millennium, thereby continuing Jay's streak of one album per year. By now, Jay was a star, as the incredibly high sales of his previous album, an album I didn't even like that much, proved, and there was a lot riding on this upcoming release, especially after the title of Life And Times Of S. Carter was revealed, therefore implying that this was going to be a reflective and poignant release. My English Student ass is quite adept at analysation, and so I'm half-convinced that this album title could have been another knock at Nas, who intended to release an album with a similarly autobiographical title and theme earlier in the year, only for it to be majorly bootlegged, meaning he had to re-record a new album, which wasn't that well received. I realise I'm reaching as far as the edge of the galaxy with that one, but you never know. Speaking of Nas, he was also embroiled in a beef with Jay's bum buddy Memphis Bleek at the time, dissing him on the first few lines of his single "Nastradamus" a few months before Vol. 3 came out, and so this album was released around the time tensions were continually rising between Shawn and Nasir. 

Anyway, back to the album. Vol. 3 was released about four days before the new year to very high sales, and yet critical dismissal as an album that followed a simple and dreary formula: drug-dealing/bitches related lyrics + fairly poppy beats + Roc-a-Fella crew = Jay-Z album. However, to me at least, this track listing appeared a lot more promising when I picked up the CD (not in '99, however: I wasn't even alive then). Not only were there far more solo tracks than on Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, an album stuffed with more up-and-coming rappers than Puff Daddy's house parties, but the producers were also moved around a bit. Swizz Beatz (who provided some dismal work on Vol. 2) was relegated to one track (hidden tracks notwithstanding), and Hov welcomed Timbaland into his humble abode far more, a good decision, as their collaborations on the previous album were some of said album's best. This time round, there are five Timbo beats, which stood as the most on any Jay album, up until his newer effort Magna Carta... Holy Grail was released to the hip-hop universe, that is. Jay also bought in the newly popular (thanks to a certain Method Man & Redman track) Rockwilder, as well as some fairly unknown beatmakers, and also bloody DJ Premier! And not for a Memphis Bleek song, either: an actual Hov track. Now, that's what I call exciting. 

One interesting point: this album was fairly successful initially, but it really blew up when Shawn released the single for "Big Pimpin'" to the listening public, a song that was instrumental in the moving of hip-hop's main interest to the South for the best part of the 2000s, before people finally stopped caring about where the rappers came from, and started thinking about their ability behind the mic finally, not that most mainstream "rappers" have said "ability behind the mic" (not to be an oldhead - I still like a decent amount of modern hip-hop).

One other thing to note is that this album had two separate releases: one for the US, and one for the rest of the world, both of which had different tracks. I've got the "rest of the world" version, so that's what I'll review, but I'll probably cover the US-only tracks at the end. Just trying to remove any confusion. Anyway, a lot of people see this as one of the worst releases in Jay's catalogue, and if this does end up being worse than Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, then we've got issues, Shawn. Big issues.

1. Hova Song (Intro) (prod. K Rob)

Jay begins things with a track that could be mistaken for a dreaded rap album intro judging by the title, but is instead just a nice verse over some very smooth and soulful production, which sounds absolutely nothing like anything he rhymed over on the previous album. If you have any recollection of the production on that album, then you'll know that this is a good thing. After some funny (and relatable) talking from Jay about how he likes to read the CD credits, Hov brings a predictably braggy and infinitely clever verse, that stands as one of the best on the entire album. Pain In Da Ass does his "OK, I'm reloaded!!" at the end, which would be for the last time until Hov's Kingdom Come album in 2006. Very pleasant opener.

2. So Ghetto (prod. DJ Premier)

The lone Preemo beat on the album also stands as the duo's best collaboration ever. Not only that, but this is arguably my favourite Jay-Z song of all time. The Premier beat is hardcore as hell, and as soon as Jay's ad-libs come in at the start, the track just exudes swagger. The verses are delivered in a tone that says "I'm so much better than you it's actually funny", and the lyrics are similarly careless, in a good way of course. Preemo also brings some signature scratching in the hook, taking parts from Jay songs "Who You Wit II", "Can I Get A..." and "Girl's Best Friend" (which appeared as a hidden track later on here, but was also on a soundtrack), as well as a Smif-n-Wessun vocal from a big posse cut entitled "Pass It", and an old Big L freestyle. These scratches sound good, but it's the Jay vocals and brilliant beat that make this easily one of his best songs ever. Absolute classic.

3. Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up) (feat. Beanie Sigel & Amil) (prod. Rockwilder)

The lead single unless I'm very much mistaken, and yeah, it's nowhere near the previous track. Rockwilder's instrumental is so underwhelming, it might make you fall immediately asleep as soon as the beat drops, and Amil's vocals feel like little baby spiders slowly crawling out of your earholes. I liked the guitar sounds at the start, but the rest of the beat is the definition of "cheap and tacky". Beanie, someone I normally don't care for too much, sounds alright here, and the foreshadowing to Juvenile's appearance on the album was pretty cool (if probably unintentional), but it's really up to Jay to make something out of this song, and he does it fairly well, with one of his more overconfident verses, and who doesn't like the line "he's alright, but he's not real"? The most interesting element of this, however, is the "throw your hands up" sample, taken from the intro (said by Barron Ricks) to a Cypress Hill song "Throw Your Hands In the Air", which featured Redman, Erick Sermon and MC Eiht. Your probably better off seeking out that one than playing this drivel.

4. Dope Man (feat. Serena Altschul) (prod. Darrell "Digga" Branch, Clue & DURO)

I don't know why the news reporter on this song is credited for a feature, but Hov ain't the first to do that (for example, Rampage's debut did the same thing, on "Da Night B4 My Shit Drop"). Jay brings in a few different producers to give him a rather tragic-sounding instrumental for him to address the allegations that he had stabbed someone over leaking this very album early (allegations that turned out to be quite truthful, I believe). Describing the Vol. 2 album as a "lethal dosage" is a bit of a reach, wouldn't you say? More like a light anaesthetic. Anyway, this track is actually really interesting, with a great beat, and some powerful verses and clever bars. The idea that Jay is this big-time underground criminal isn't very believable though, and will become less so with the next song.

5. Things That U Do (feat. Mariah Carey) (prod. Swizz Beatz, add-prod. Chauncey Mahan)

Arguably the worst fucking song I have ever listened to. I don't think I need to elaborate more, but incase you want to know why, to spare yourself listening to this, then here we go. The beat from Swizz Beatz is miserably lacking in any replayability, Hov sounds annoying as is humanely possible, and also, Mariah Carey is on here. Fucking hell.

6. It's Hot (Some Like It Hot) (prod. Timbaland)

The Timbaland instrumentals begin here, for this song that is easily one of the biggest bangers here, despite some very questionable lyrics. The Timbo beat is forced to first make its way through the painfully bad astrology of ".38 revolve like the sun round the Earth", which... I mean, come on, Jay-Z. We are then subjected to the misery of "give my ladies dick, my young ho's pee-pee", shortly before a Michael Jackson reference joins the track. The fuck?? These two lines are absolutely terrible, but for the rest of the track, Jay does come across as a somewhat competent MC, and a very good hitmaker - that hook is very catchy. Timbo's beat is probably better than the bars here, but still, this is enjoyable enough, and the diss to 50 Cent was funny, if recycled from a previous live performance. Banger.

7. Snoopy Track (feat. Juvenile) (prod. Timbaland)

The first of two tracks to feature an at the time popular rapper from the South, here it being Juvenile of "Back That Azz Up" and "Ha!" fame. However, he only pops up for the hook on here, leaving Jay to drop some more braggish bars over the heavy synths that you can't help but bop your head to. Timbaland truly was on fire back then, wasn't he? This track is a banger, and the perfect one for Jay. Can you imagine Busta Rhymes or Nas on this beat? No. It's custom made for Jay, without doubt a good thing.

8. S. Carter (feat. Amil) (prod. Russ & SAF)

There are certainly more features on here than I remember there being. This track is a contender for the worst title track in bloody existence. "Competition is naaaa-daaaa! Competition is nope-nope-nope!" is a simply painful chorus, and the verses here are not particularly interesting either. And why does Jay keep relying on the painfully annoying Amil? And did I mention how unbelievably shitty this beat is? Let's keep moving.

9. Pop 4 Roc (feat. Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek & Amil) (prod. Clue & DURO)

The first track on a Jay album to feature every member of the so-called "Dynasty" (and the second overall, after "For My Thugs", released on Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap's The Tunnel album a few weeks before this), who would go on to make an album the next year (which was really a Jay-Z solo, but I digress). This song is not particularly enjoyable either, with an annoying electric guitar instrumental, and none of the MCs being particularly good on here, except Jay of course. The hook is annoying as the customers at the Chinese I work at too, and that's saying a LOT. TL:DR: this isn't very good.

10. Hova Interlude (prod. K Rob)

Those that own the US version of this album were probably expecting me to cover "Watch Me" featuring Dr. Dre here, but no - on the Europe release, we have this additional verse to the "Hova Song" series that appears as the intro and outro on both versions of the album. A lot of people haven't heard this, but it's worth it - this is a nice addition to the album.

11. Big Pimpin' (feat. UGK) (prod. Timbaland)

The infamous single that led to Jay becoming arguably the biggest rapper in the whole world, and also led to the South becoming a lot more prominent in the hip-hop world. I'll leave you to decided whether or not either of those are good things. This song is infamous for the almost Egyptian (I think??) sounding beat, and incredibly misogynistic opening lines from Jay-Z ("you know I thug 'em, fuck 'em, love 'em, leave 'em 'cause I don't fuckin' need 'em" - I know he's not being serious, but still, jeez!). Still, Jay sounds pretty good spitting at a slightly more rapid pace, and the addition of UGK on the end was nice as well (Rest In Peace Pimp C), as was the breakdown in production. There are other songs here that I prefer, but still, this is definitely a must-listen hit.

12. Is That Yo Bitch (feat. Twista & Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott) (prod. Timbaland)

Inevitably taken from the popular BBC Two programme of the same name. Again, US readers may be confused, as their CDs contain a song titled "There's Been A Murder", but in Europe, we get this Timbo track that stands as yet another fast paced joint to add to the Jay catalogue. Missy's hook is terribly vulgar, but Jay and guest star Twista both bring their speedy rhymes to the table with a venom. What's also funny is that this was originally a Memphis Bleek song, but for this version they just completely shove him out of the way, which is pretty hilarious if you ask me. Does anyone else find the echo of "it's over man!" to be terribly annoying, or is that just me?

13. Come And Get Me (prod. Timbaland)

So, remember when I mentioned in the introduction paragraphs that the title of this album could potentially be a subtle diss to Nas? Well, THIS song contains an eerily similar title to a song off Nasir's Nastradamus album, released a couple months before this project, I believe. Weird. Anyway, this stands now as the fifth Timbo beat on the album, and it's easily the most old-school, or at least the first half is - this track contains a beat switch, something that was far less common in '99 than it is today. I'm convinced the first section contains a sample from Wu-Tang Clan's "Tearz" beat, but I could be making a mistake. That's unlikely though. Anyway, after that first section, we get a weird echoey section of Jay shouting the title of the song, and various bells and jungle sounds, which is just weird. The second beat that finally comes in after that is unfortunately the worst Timbo contribution on here, but it's still not that bad. This track is very good, and I appreciate the experimentation too - one other thing is that the Europe version ends with an instrumental outro, whereas the US version ends on the echo of "motherfucker", I believe. Great stuff, and listening to the hook on here makes the idea of this being a Nas diss that much more plausible.

14. NYMP (prod. Rockwilder)

Stands for "New York Marcy Projects", although before I heard the song, I was convinced it would stand for "New York Military Police". Was that just me, or did anyone else get that? Anyway, this song contains a Rockwilder instrumental that's infinitely more enjoyable than whatever he was attempting on "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)", although I did find the intro to sound very similar to that on "So Ghetto". This song is pretty chilled out, and probably the least serious Jay-Z album closer up to now (well, it's the closer on the US pressings, anyway), which is probably a good thing.

15. Hova Song (Outro) (prod. K Rob)

The final verse of the "Hova" trilogy seen throughout the album. This is actually nice, and kind of makes me want to go back through the album whenever I hear it. He also expresses great displeasure towards his father on here, which was sad to hear. The US version goes straight to the hidden tracks after this, but in Europe, there's one more song for our pleasure...

16. Anything (prod. Sam Sneed & P. Skam)

This track was intended for use as the final song on Beanie Sigel's The Truth album, where it did eventually end up, but it also appeared on here before that, albeit only on the pressings outside of the US. Jay attempts to recreate the magic of "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" from the last album, by making yet another song with a hook sampled from a musical with children's vocals, and a family-friendly instrumental, and while this is sweet and all, I'd rather listen to "Hard Knock Life". This song is pretty heartwarming, though, and would have been a great way to finish the album off. However...

The following songs are the "hidden bonus tracks" listed on the back cover. If you're going to include hidden tracks, why advertise them? And why make them songs everyone has already heard??

- Jigga My Nigga (prod. Swizz Beatz)

Originally from the first edition in the Ruff Ryder's Ryde Or Die compilation album series, and you can tell. After quite a hefty bit of silence, this track starts, and ends up being one of the least pleasant songs on the whole album. The beat sounds like a cheap Swizz Beatz imitation - in other words, your average Swizz Beatz instrumental after "Ruff Ryder's Anthem" - and the hook is incredibly aggravating. Jay even swipes his first few bars from Snoop Dogg's "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)". This song was ultimately weak.

- Girl's Best Friend (prod. Swizz Beatz)

Originally from the Blue Streak soundtrack. The most interesting thing about this is that the line "lock the whole block down" was sampled intro the scratched hook of "So Ghetto" earlier in the album. This track isn't as terrible as the last one, and the concept is sweet, but it's still pretty damned boring, and the hook is positively horrific. Shit on it.

The US version of the album, as I mentioned during the review, replaces "Hova Interlude" with "Watch Me (feat. Dr. Dre)", and replaces "Is That Yo Bitch" with "There's Been A Murder", and it also completely removes the song "Anything". However, I don't have that version yet, so I'll come back and review those songs once I've bought that version of the album.

Vol. 3... Life And Times Of S. Carter is actually similarly inconsistent to Nas' first 1999 effort I Am..., an album I've mentioned before in this review (and have reviewed before as well). This track contains both arguably the best Jay song ("So Ghetto"), and the worst Jay song ("Things That U Do"), and if that ain't a representation for inconsistency, I don't know what is. It also contains a mixture of late '90s Jay at his best, making street bangers with undeniable swagger and charisma over nice beats, and terrible pop attempts that sound about as pleasant as someone releasing diarrhoea all over your brand new carpet. It's crazy how different the musical quality is between "Things That U Do" and "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)", or "So Ghetto" and "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)". The album has some big flaws, and it's too long, AND the hidden tracks are both worthless and should have been left off. However, I still much prefer this to Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, even though I understand that I'm very much in the minority there. I just think that this album has a much nicer vibe than that one, and think of it this way: get rid of the song with Mariah Carey, every song with one of the Roc-a-Fella signees on, and also the hidden tracks, and then you would be left with easily one of the best albums in Jay's catalogue. Don't let the reception fool you: there's a lot of worth to be found here, you just have to wade through some shit to get to it: imagine this album as a bowl of salted peanuts, with a few sour almonds in there as well. Yes, there are bad moments, but not enough to ruin the whole thing. I would recommend you give this one a go, but get the tissues ready for "Things That U Do", as you may begin to cry uncontrollably at how terrible it is. Happy listening!

Best Tracks: So Ghetto, Dope Man, It's Hot (Some Like It Hot), Snoopy Track, Big Pimpin', Come And Get Me, NYMP, all the "Hova Song" tracks

Worst Tracks: Things That U Do, S. Carter, Pop 4 Roc, the hidden tracks

Catch up on other Hov reviews by clicking here.